


i've been the archer (i've been the prey)

by fowlbyname45



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 12:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30004731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fowlbyname45/pseuds/fowlbyname45
Summary: You have been traveling with the Mandalorian for a while, and one day you notice something that will change the course of your relationship forever.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54





	i've been the archer (i've been the prey)

**Author's Note:**

> "I've been the archer  
> I've been the prey  
> Who could ever leave me, darling?  
> But who could stay?"  
> -The Archer, Taylor Swift

You had been traveling with the Mandalorian for a while now. It sometimes seemed like it had been forever since you had been alone without the elusive warrior and his little green son at your side. As you sat in the cockpit of the Razor Crest and watched Mando pilot his ship to some new destination, you couldn’t help but admire him. You had to admit that after some time of this lifestyle - going system to system as Mando hunted his bounties and you helped with his child - you had come to care for the man in beskar in a way that transcended partnership or friendship. But in a world where one’s soulmate was dictated by a tattoo on their body that the person meant for them shared, it was difficult to start a relationship, especially without knowing who they themselves were destined for. You sighed a little, adjusting the small child in your lap and catching a glimpse of the hand where your own special tattoo was. It was in the shape of a target, and placed in between your thumb and forefinger.

You were taken out of your thoughts by the piloting Mandalorian. “We’re gonna touch down for repairs soon. Nothing major this time; I should be able to take care of it.”

“Okay,” you replied. “Where are we stopping?”

“Nevarro.”

Upon hearing this information, your mind immediately recalled the day you and Mando had met, which was on the very same planet. You allowed yourself to fall into the memories.

*****

_It had been a spring afternoon, the weather nice if a bit warm. You worked at a cantina on Nevarro, serving customers and trying to keep your head down. Even though you were new there, you knew it was a shady joint, frequented by ruthless bounty hunters looking for their next job. But sometimes, a person has to do what they have to do to get money, and this was as good a place as any for that. That fateful day, the Mandalorian walked into the cantina, and once you got over the shock of seeing a real life Mandalorian, full armor and all, you were charmed by the small companion with him._

_He sat down next to a man who you had often seen here, giving the hunters their work. You had heard him be referred to as Greef Karga, who then called you over to take his order. When you did so, you couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the green baby in the pram next to the table._

_“Is he yours?” you asked the Mandalorian, being friendly purely on instinct and not thinking about how he would react._

_The man had nodded after a moment of silence. “Yeah, he is. A foundling.”_

_“How sweet,” you said, putting two fingers into the floating pram to gently pet the child’s head. “What’s his name?”_

_“Grogu.”_

_“Hi Grogu,” you cooed._

_Karga then cleared his throat, interrupting your baby talk. “So, to business. Long time no see, Mando.”_

_You took that as your cue to leave, your face flushing slightly in embarrassment as you walked back to the bar you were supposed to be working at. Even after the adorable child and his Mandalorian father had left the cantina, you couldn’t help but smile at how cute Grogu had been._

_A few hours later, you were just about to start wrapping up your shift when the Mandalorian came back. This time, however, he didn’t sit down to talk with Karga, who had also gone by now. He approached you instead, the child still with him._

_“How can I help you?” you asked curiously as you wiped down the counter in front of you._

_“Are you good with kids?” he said, answering with a question of his own._

_You were a bit taken aback, but responded easily nonetheless. “Yes, I think so. I’ve always had a connection to the little ones. Why do you ask?”_

_“Well, I’ve been looking for another crew member. Someone to help take care of Grogu. I can’t always take him with me when I go hunting.”_

_Was he asking you to join him? To essentially be a live-in babysitter? You considered the offer. You really had nothing to lose, and his son was absolutely precious. Looking back, you couldn’t have stopped your next words from leaving your mouth even if you’d tried._

_“I’m in.”_

*****

That had been months ago, and now you were in deeper than you ever expected to be. The Mandalorian could often be cold and quiet, but over time he had started showing you a softer side of himself, a side that he usually only reserved for Grogu. He would check on you every night without fail before he went to bed, just to make sure you were okay. There were times when you would swear that his helmet had been looking in your direction before you turned to see and he looked back again. It was this part of him that made you glad that you had accepted his offer, and it was this part of him that made you realize that you cared for him - maybe even more than you knew.

Now that you were touched down on Nevarro for repairs, you scooped up the child and stood. “I’m gonna go stretch my legs for a while,” you told Mando. “I can take the kid with me, and I’ll be back soon.”

He nodded in your direction and you set off, happy to be distracted from your thoughts and breathing in the fresh air. Before you left, you saw the Mandalorian begin on his repairs outside the ship, trying to see what was wrong with it this time. You smiled a secret smile at the sight.

After you finished your walk, you returned to the Crest, holding Grogu and still grinning. But when you approached the vessel, you saw a sight that you never expected to see.

Mando was still working on the ship, but his gloves were off, presumably to allow him to work easier. It was the most exposed skin you had ever seen from him, and you couldn’t help but admire them a little before realizing something. He had a tattoo.

_It was in the shape of a target, and placed in between his thumb and forefinger._

Oh. _Oh_. This meant something that you had admittedly considered, but never really thought could be a reality: the Mandalorian was your soulmate. Though you liked to think you knew him pretty well after all your time traveling together, there was still so much to learn. Not for the first time, you wondered what he looked like when he rolled his eyes or smiled or any other number of expressions. And now, the day that you would find those things out suddenly seemed closer than ever. Taking yourself out of your thoughts, you decided to wait til Mando was done repairing the Crest before saying anything. But then what would you say? That thought echoed in your mind as you finished walking up the ramp of the Crest, still holding the kid.

You and Grogu entered the cockpit, and you sat down with him. “Okay, little one,” you said, chatting to him as you always did. “When your _buir_ gets back inside, I’m gonna tell him what I saw. I don’t know what he’ll say, but I’m sure it’ll end up fine,” you said, not sure if you were convincing him or yourself. He cooed up at you, as if he could understand what you were saying.

After several more minutes of this, you decided to lay the womp rat down for a nap as he had started to look sleepy. Once you returned to the cockpit alone you sat down and laid back in your chair, intending to relax and calm your thoughts before the Mandalorian came back. It wasn’t long before he did, joining you in the pit.

“The ship’s fixed well enough,” he said, the sound of his voice causing your heartbeat sped up even more than usual. “It should get the job done, for a while at least.”

You nodded, sitting up straighter in your chair. “Great. The kid’s taking a nap right now; he was getting tired.”

“Okay.”

Taking a deep breath, you realized now was as good a time as any to try to tell him what you had seen. “Hey Mando?”

“Hmm?” he hummed in reply, making his way to the pilot chair.

“I, um, need to talk to you. When I came back from my walk with Grogu, I...well, I saw something. Something you need to know about.”

The Mandalorian’s footsteps halted. “What was it?”

 _Just spit it out,_ you thought to yourself. “I...I saw your hands. You had taken the gloves off to work. And...I saw your soulmate tattoo.”

Mando let out a breath, the sound echoing through the modulator of his helmet. “Is that all? You don’t need to worry about that, people see each other’s tats all the time…”

“But it was the same as mine.”

That caused the Mandalorian to reconsider what you had just said completely. If it was the same as yours, then that could only mean one thing. And even the idea of that one thing caused him to feel something in his chest that he wasn’t used to feeling. It was a pleasant sensation, one that, in recent times, he had only ever really felt for the kid, and you as well. He always assumed it didn’t mean anything, that it just meant he cared about you, but hearing you admit what you had seen made the feeling blossom in him as if it were an explosion.

After hearing nothing but silence for a few moments, you spoke again. “I think we’re soulmates, Mando. As crazy as it may seem, our tattoos are the same. We’re...tied to each other, in a way. Maybe you inviting me on your crew was the universe’s way of getting us together.”

The Mandalorian turned to face you completely. “You...you don’t have to call me Mando. It’s Din. You should know that.”

Hearing this information caused something to stir inside you, as if the stars themselves were aligning. “Is that your name?”

“Yes. My name is Din Djairn.”

The name sounded as sweet as honey coming from his rich voice, and you smiled widely. “That’s a nice name. It fits you.” Din chuckled, which caused your smile to grow even larger. You then showed him your hand, specifically the target shaped ink there. “See how they’re the same? I always wondered why mine looked like this; it never really felt like _me_ , you know? But it all makes sense now, knowing that my soulmate is a Mandalorian,” you said, letting out a soft laugh. 

Din observed your hand for a moment before taking off his own gloves, pulling them off his fingers delicately and revealing his own tattoo. “You’re right. They are the same.” He then instinctively reached out with his bare hand to grab yours, and when he did so the sensation was unlike anything you had ever felt before. It was if every missing puzzle piece in the galaxy had suddenly connected at the same time, and the person that would help you reconnect them once they fell apart again was right in front of you.

“Nice to meet you, Din Djarin,” you said, grinning and enjoying the way the name felt on your tongue. The mysterious man in front of you was suddenly so much more than your traveling partner. Now you knew that he was your soulmate, and you finally knew his name. The universe worked in strange ways, but you wouldn’t have it any other way as you sat there in the cockpit of the Razor Crest and looked forward to all the experiences you would have with Din in the future.

It was an adventure you were looking forward to more than anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Also, the title is a reference to Reader & Din's shared tattoo (a target). :)


End file.
